


Cherish The Thought (Of Always Having You Here By My Side)

by Kayjae



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: His brain is mean to him sometimes, Light Angst, M/M, Pianist! Jihoon, Seokmin has anxiety :(, Vocal Major! Seokmin, theyre music nerds who are in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:48:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24904099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayjae/pseuds/Kayjae
Summary: Seokmin just wanted to pass his senior recital and graduate. Getting distracted by his cute accompanist and jeopardizing his grade, well, that wasn't part of the plan.
Relationships: Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Lee Seokmin | DK
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55
Collections: Enduring Dawn Round 1





	Cherish The Thought (Of Always Having You Here By My Side)

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't touched a piano or read sheet music in like 5 years, so I apologize for any inaccuracies. 
> 
> Thank you to [kwanies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwanies) for being my beta!

The senior recital is coming up and it seems like everyone is ready except for Seokmin. This is the biggest performance of his university life, the one that will determine whether he can graduate or not. He’s so far behind in preparations that he wanted to cry. He hasn’t met with his accompanist yet, or started practicing. Hell, he doesn’t even have a song picked out, something that should’ve been done weeks ago. It didn’t help that every time he went to class, his classmates would ask him what song he was going to sing. He just couldn’t bring it in himself to tell them the truth, so he only smiled and dodged the question. That was always easier than dealing with the embarrassment of being a failure.

He tried going to his professors for advice, but none of them provided any real help. Even his favorite ones gave him the same, straight-edge answer: “That has to be a decision you make yourself.” To which Seokmin would always roll his eyes at, but he wasn’t going to give up. He couldn’t afford to fail. Graduation was so close, he could taste it. 

After scrolling for what feels like an hour through his favorite playlist of songs, and not finding anything that’s even remotely appealing, he calls his friend/rival, Seungkwan, in a panic. He and Seungkwan have been friendly rivals since their second year. He was considered to be top in his class for vocals, but during their second year, a transfer student suddenly came and stole his number one position. They used it to their advantage though, always pushing the other to their limits and bringing out the best in each other. Despite their competitiveness, Seungkwan has proved to be a really good friend when Seokmin needs it. 

They decide to meet at a cafe near the university, thinking it’ll be easier since they both live pretty far away from the campus.

Seungkwan is already sitting at a booth when Seokmin arrives, typing on his laptop with an iced americano sitting next to him. Seokmin walks over to the counter and orders a regular coke before joining Seungkwan at the table. 

“Thanks for meeting me here.” 

“No problem, I’m always here if you need it.” Seungkwan closes his laptop and gives Seokmin a reassuring smile. “So, you can’t find a song?”

“Yes! I’m out of ideas. It’s like I think of a song, and then I start doubting if I could sing it. I just- I’m so scared of failing. University has been so hard on me already, and that would be the worst thing that could happen to me. I don’t know what I would do if I failed. I will literally sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star if it comes down to it.”

“Okay, one, you’re not going to fail! Lee Seokmin doesn’t fail. Two, the recital is in, like, a month, so you have plenty of time to pick something out.”

“Easy for you to say, you already have a song picked out,” Seokmin mumbles, taking a sip of his drink.

“Actually, I’m still undecided.”

“Really? I thought you’re singing Love Poem by IU.”

Seungkwan shrugs. “It’s a really difficult song, and I don’t want to do her any injustice by picking it. Plus, if I mess up, that’ll be a lot of marks off my performance.”

“True, but if anyone could pull it off you can.” 

“Never thought I’d hear that from my rival, but thanks.”

Seokmin just rolls his eyes and takes another drink. “That still doesn’t help my problem though. I’m going to fail, and then I won’t be able to get a job because I don’t have a degree and then I’ll be broke and if I’m broke I can’t afford an apartment! I-”

“Seokmin, you’re dramatic as hell.” Seungkwan cuts him off mid-rant. He’s one of his best friends, but he’s blunt when he needs to be. 

Seokmin puts a hand over his chest in mock offense. “You’re way more dramatic than I am!” 

“Whatever! Let’s move on. Have you met your accompanist yet? I met mine a few days ago.” 

“No,” Seokmin shakes his head. “It’s someone I’ve never heard of. Lee Jihoon? He’s a music major.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of him. He participated in a showcase a few years back, and his playing was unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s seriously amazing. I’d be nervous if I were you.”

“Not helping!” Seokmin exclaims. 

“I’m just stating facts. Maybe your hot new accompanist will help you decide what song to sing.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

\----------------

Seokmin goes home later that night feeling a little more at ease. Talking to Seungkwan usually helps a lot, and it’s reassuring to know that he’s more or less in the same situation as Seokmin is. It doesn’t fix the problem though, as he lets out a defeated sigh and plops down on the couch next to his roommate, Soonyoung. Soonyoung immediately notices the change in demeanor.

“What’s wrong?” He turns off the TV and faces Seokmin.

“I don’t have a song picked out yet,” Seokmin runs his hands through his hair. “It’s fine, I’ll pick out something eventually.”

At times like this, Seokmin is glad to have a friend like him. Soonyoung has been there for him since the beginning, no matter how stupid his problems seemed. He remembers being a little kid, not much older than 6, crying from getting a scrape on his knee at the playground, and Soonyoung approached him with a band-aid and a toy car to make him feel better. He remembers getting his heart broken for the first time in high school and Soonyoung was there with ice cream and snuggles. He was glad when they both got accepted into the same university, Seokmin wouldn’t know what to do without him.

“Have you thought about what type of song you want?” 

“No, nothing has come to mind.”

“Maybe that’s something to consider. You could select a song that means a lot to you, or one that really shows off your vocals. There are lots of options.” 

“I know, that’s my problem. There are too many options.”

“I’d be happy to help you pick out a song if you need it.” 

“Thank you,” Seokmin says with sincerity. He truly does appreciate his friends' help when everything gets to be a little too much. 

“How about doing the process of elimination? You pick your top 5 songs and go from there.”

“That’s a good idea, actually.”

“I know,” Soonyoung gives a prideful smile. “I’m full of good ideas.”

“Debatable.” 

“Is that any way to thank me? I just saved your ass.” 

Seokmin shoves him. “You know I love you.” 

“And I love you too.” A comfortable silence washes over them as Seokmin creates a new top 10 playlist.

“Oh yeah,” Soonyoung says after a while. “Who’s your accompanist?” 

“Lee Jihoon.” 

Soonyoung whines at that. “That’s not fair. He’s cute _and_ talented. Dude, you’re so lucky. I’d love to work with him.”

“What, are you in love with him or something?” Seokmin sent a knowing smile.

“No, but have you seen him? I definitely wouldn’t mind.” 

“How come everyone knows him but me?” He pouts.

“I don’t know.” Soonyoung shrugs. “Maybe you’re just oblivious, but we already knew that.”

“Shut up!”

\----------------

As It turns out, Soonyoung’s advice helps him a lot. Seokmin stays up for hours trying to choose the perfect song; he debates back and forth between two of his favorites. He wants something that can showcase his skills and everything he’s learned, while still being meaningful to him. After much indecisiveness, he finally finds the song. Feeling a wave of happiness wash over him, he prints the sheet music off for Jihoon and gets ready for bed. 

He wakes up the next day feeling a little nervous. That feeling grows as he makes his way over to the music room they were assigned. He’s never met Jihoon, after all, and he isn’t sure how well they’ll work together, or if Jihoon will be unhappy with how much he’s still lacking as a vocalist. Jihoon had contacted him first, setting up a time and a place to meet so they could get started. As Seokmin approaches, he hears soft music filling the hallway. He stops in front of the slightly ajar door, and sees a boy already sitting at the piano. The song he’s playing is soft and melancholic, and his fingers slide across the keys so gently. The whole atmosphere is fragile, and something about it is so... heartbreaking. There’s so much emotion in the boy’s playing. He plays like he has a story to tell, and that he desperately wants everyone to listen. Seokmin has never heard anything like it, and is completely captivated the whole time. He thinks he could listen to him play for hours. 

“Uh, can I help you?” A voice interrupts his thoughts. He hadn’t even realized the music stopped playing. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Uh, I’m Seokmin. I think we’re supposed to be partners.” He gives a small wave as he enters the room. “Are you Jihoon?”

Nodding, Jihoon replies, “I am.”

“What song were you playing just now? I really liked it.”

Jihoon looks down at the keys, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “It’s one I wrote. It’s nothing special.”

Seokmin shakes his head. “No, it’s really good. I mean it.” His voice and smile are sincere, which causes Jihoon to smile in return. 

“Ah, thanks...” He trails off.

Seokmin sets his stuff down by the piano and pulls out a red folder, taking out the sheets inside.

“How long have you been writing your own stuff? It sounds like you’ve been doing it for years.”

Jihoon scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment, still not used to getting so many compliments. “A little over a year. Really, it’s nothing.”

“Wow,” Seokmin is amazed. “If that’s what you’re already capable of, I can only imagine how you’ll be in a few years.”

Covering his face in his hands, Jihoon groans before asking for the sheet music. They had almost forgotten why they were there in the first place. Seokmin hands the music to Jihoon and he immediately begins scanning over it. 

“This is a pretty challenging song. For the vocalist and the accompanist. What made you choose this one?” He looks up to meet his eyes.

“I guess I just wanted something that really showcased my vocals since it’s the senior recital.” Seokmin shrugs. He feels bad, he really does. He hadn’t even taken Jihoon into consideration when choosing the song. Would it be too difficult? Maybe he should’ve gone with something safer. 

“Well, I think this will earn really high marks if we pull it off.” 

“So.... you’re okay with this song?”

Jihoon nods and sets the music down on the stand. “I need to practice a bit, but yeah, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” 

“Great!” Seokmin beams. 

Jihoon plays a few chords while Seokmin hums the melody. He’s a great player, really. So focused and determined, paying attention to every detail written in the music. He takes notes every few measures, and his face scrunches up a little when there’s a change in tempo. Seokmin thinks it’s kind of adorable. Jihoon runs through the first verse and turns his attention back to Seokmin when he’s done. 

“Sing the first verse acapella.” 

Hesitantly, Seokmin does so. He manages to get through the verse without completely messing up, which is difficult considering Jihoon carefully observes him and writes down a few notes here and there. 

“You went a little flat in some places, but I think overall it was good.” Jihoon offers a small smile. “Let’s run through it with the accompaniment.” 

They practice for about an hour, with Jihoon correcting some of Seokmin’s mistakes, before deciding to take a small break. Jihoon goes to the vending machine outside and buys them two bottles of water, and a bag of potato chips to share. He hands a water bottle to Seokmin, who gratefully takes it, before sitting down on the bench again. 

“Why do you know so much about singing?” Seokmin asks after downing half the bottle.

Jihoon laughs loudly, surprised by the question. “I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to know anything.”

Seokmin’s eyes go wide in horror. “That’s not what I meant! I’m sorry!”

He shakes his head. “It’s okay. I’m a music performance major, but I minor in composition so I sing a lot in general.” 

“You should sing! I bet you’re really good!” 

He glances at the sheet music in thought and glances back at Seokmin. “You’re the vocal major here. You should focus on this performance for the time being.”

“I’m not hearing a no.”

“Seokmin,” Jihoon sends him a warning glare.

Seokmin sighs in defeat and focuses on his sheet of paper. “Fine.”

After they finish the bag of chips, they go back to work for another hour. The session ends when Jihoon tells Seokmin that he has a night class to go to, so they exchange phone numbers and set another meeting time for Tuesday. They decide to meet and practice twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, managing to work around their busy schedules. Seokmin is excited, he quite likes practicing with Jihoon. Not only is he skilled, but he’s knowledgeable on music in general. And he’s cute. Maybe Seokmin has a weakness for cute guys. 

\-----------

The week passes by all too quickly, with every day slowly becoming a blur as the homework piles on and the lessons get more difficult. The end of the year is approaching soon, and that means final exams are coming up. Seokmin always dreads those the most, wishing his senior recital could count as his only one. Soonyoung is also feeling stressed, if the loud sigh Seokmin hears from the kitchen is anything to go by. Seokmin pauses his typing and calls out to Soonyoung from the couch.

“You good?” Silence. Seokmin saves his work and closes his laptop screen before setting it on the coffee table. He knows he isn’t going to get any work done anytime soon, feeling too anxious to even concentrate. He walks into the kitchen and sees Soonyoung laying down on the table with a book in his hands. He has the book covering his face, which leads Seokmin to suspect he fell asleep. He wouldn’t put it past Soonyoung to fall asleep on their kitchen table.

“What are you doing?” Seokmin asked. Soonyoung groaned in reply.

“I have this report due next week and I haven’t even started. Please end me.”

Seokmin hums as he opens the fridge and searches for something to eat. They desperately need to go to the store, because a jar of mayo, one slice of bread, and a single orange will not suffice as a meal. “What’s it about?”

“Dance theory.” 

“If It’s anything like music theory, I’m so sorry.” He says as he shuts the door and turns back to Soonyoung. 

Soonyoung shakes his head and sits up. “No, I actually kind of enjoy it. Doesn’t mean I want to write a paper about it, though.” 

“Honestly, same. I don’t get why we have to write papers anyway.”

“Me neither. But we’re almost done! One month to go, man.” 

Right. Seokmin can’t believe they’re almost done. The past four years have been rough, and graduating college used to seem like something so... so unobtainable, and now it’s right in front of him. He could cry just thinking about it, honestly. His thoughts are interrupted by his stomach rumbling, which reminds him of the current situation at hand.

“I’m starving, do you wanna order something?”

Soonyoung nods. “Yes! I’m in the mood for chicken.”

Seokmin and Soonyoung lay sprawled out on the couch, full from the chicken and tipsy from the soju Soonyoung picked up at the convenience store. They’re both lightweights, and while eating did help, the two of them were a giggling mess by the time the 3rd shot came. 

“I don’t think I ever asked,” Soonyoung says after taking a bite of chicken, “but how was meeting Jihoon?”

Seokmin’s face goes red, but he’s sure it was because of the alcohol. No other reason. “It was good. He surprisingly knows a lot about singing.” 

“Mhm, do you think he’s cute?” Soonyoung raises his eyebrows and gives a shit-eating grin which causes Seokmin to shove him in return.

“He’s really cute! His playing was so good, I can’t stop thinking about it. ” 

“When’s your next meeting?” Seokmin gives a bright smile at that.

“Tuesday.” 

“And he’s already got you smiling like that,” Soonyoung giggles. “Go for it! I believe in you.”

“I barely know him!” Seokmin picks up the bottle of strawberry soju and takes a long sip. 

“You’ll get to know him better during practice!”

“Why are you so insistent on me finding a boyfriend?”

“It’s been a few years since you were in a relationship, and it’s been who knows how long you got laid,” Soonyoung puts his arm around Seokmin’s shoulder. “I’m just being a good friend.”

Seokmin puts his hand over his chest in fake hurt. “Hey! I am perfectly capable of finding a relationship, thank you.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” 

Seokmin just rolls his eyes and takes one more drink. The buzz is really setting in now, and he’s starting to feel a little sleepy from consuming way more than he usually does. 

“What about you?” His words are starting to slur. “You’re hopelessly in love with that one dude from your dance class. Junhui, I think is his name” 

“I’m working on it! I have a better chance than you at least, considering we’ve already been on a date.”

“You’re so mean to me.” He replies with a yawn and curls into a ball on the couch.

“I love you, Minnie” 

“Love you too, even if you are the worst friend ever.”

Soonyoung lightly kicks Seokmins shin in retaliation and turns on their favorite anime. It mainly serves as background noise since they’re both too tired to pay attention, and they slowly drift off into sleep, snuggling each other on the couch. 

\-----------

Tuesday arrives faster than Seokmin expects; whether it’s from finals or the fact that he’s nervous to see Jihoon again, though, he can’t be sure. He’s sitting in his philosophy of music class when his phone buzzes with a message. Turning his attention away from the lecture, Seokmin quickly pulls his phone out, checking his notifications to see that it’s from Jihoon. 

**Jihoon!: hey, i’m gonna be a little late today. got caught up with some work.**

**Me: That’s fine!!**

Seokmin puts his phone back in his pocket and tries to focus on whatever the professor is saying, proving that to be unsuccessful when class ends and he looks down at his blank notebook. He’d have to ask someone to borrow their notes later. Sighing, he packs everything up and decides to go to the store to get a snack since Jihoon said he was going to be late. 

Seokmin really likes taking walks, they’re relaxing and provide an escape from the loud thoughts in his head. He doesn’t get to do them very often with his schedule, so he seeks solace in the short walks to the store or between classes. The weather is nice outside, the sun is partially covered behind the clouds and a slight breeze rustles through the trees. The trip to the store isn’t far, only a few minutes from campus, and Seokmin finds himself in front of the doors without even realizing it. 

He opens the doors and immediately feels the cool air conditioner hit him, then walks over to the drink section. He grabs two cokes, figuring Jihoon would like one, before heading to the snacks and picking out some triangle kimbap. He pays for the items and makes his way back to the practice room.

Jihoon ends up being really late, so Seokmin uses the time to practice the song on his own. He can’t play the piano to save his life, but he does know the basic chords and can use them to stay on pitch when he notices that he’s going too flat or too sharp. After a run-through of the first page, Seokmin is happy with the results and takes a small break. He sits down on the floor and rummages through the plastic bag, taking out the snacks and opening them up. Seokmin is about to take a drink of soda when he sees Jihoon entering the room out of the corner of his eye.

“I am so sorry,” Jihoon says as he approaches Seokmin. “I had to finish a song for one of my classes.” 

Seokmin sets down the can and looks up at Jihoon. “It’s okay, it’s the end of the semester. I get it.”

Jihoon smiles at that and sets his bag down on the bench. “How much have you already gone through?”

“Just the first page, I kept getting stuck on a few measures.” 

“Highlight the ones you need the most help with. We can spend today reviewing them.” Jihoon takes out the sheet music from his bag and a yellow highlighter and hands them to Seokmin. 

Seokmin takes the paper and skims over it, labeling one particular measure he remembers gave him the most trouble. 

Jihoon looks over his shoulder and points something out. “Oh, this part leads to a key change.”

“Ah, no wonder.” Seokmin takes a drink, remembering that he had bought an extra coke for Jihoon. Seokmin hands the can to Jihoon, and looks confused when he doesn’t take it right away. 

“Oh sorry, do you not like coke? I can get something else next time.” Jihoon shakes his head and takes it from him, cracking it open and taking a sip.

“It’s not that. I was just surprised, I didn’t think you knew coke was my favorite.”

“Yeah, I can read minds actually.”

Jihoon rolls his eyes, trying to hide his smile by taking another drink. “Sure you can.”

“Okay, you caught me. I didn’t know it was your favorite, but now I do! I learn something new about you every time!”

Feeling flustered by Seokmins enthusiasm, Jihoon quickly changes the subject. “Let’s just get back to work.”

Seokmin goes back to work after that and circles a few measures. He’ll highlight something and show it to Jihoon, who will then help explain it until it makes sense. They do this for a while, and Seokmin makes an offhand comment about how Jihoon is a better teacher than most professors he’s had, which causes Jihoon’s ears to turn red. 

They start from the beginning, but they don’t get very far because Seokmin gets stuck on the key change again. 

“No, it goes like this.” Jihoon demonstrates how it’s done, and Seokmin tries to pay attention, but he gets distracted by Jihoon’s singing. His voice is so soft and so sweet, like cotton candy. It’s soothing and emotional, a perfect voice for a lullaby in his opinion. In all his years of being a vocal major, Seokmin has never heard a voice like that. He needs more. 

“Like that, now I want you to try.” Seokmin is pulled out of his thoughts. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” He says sheepishly. “Could you show me again?”

“Are you serious? I don’t like repeating myself.” Jihoon started over again.

He does his best to pay attention this time, being too afraid to upset Jihoon again, but his efforts prove to be pointless and Seokmin can tell that Jihoon is getting slightly annoyed with him. 

“Again.” Seokmin sings again, and gets it wrong, again. 

Jihoon sighs. “Again.” Still wrong.

“No, that’s not how you do it.” Jihoon knitted his brows in concern. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Seokmin brushed off the question, not willing to admit to Jihoon that he himself was the reason Seokmin was so distracted.  
“If you say so.” Jihoon tentatively agreed. The concern was still written on his face, but Seokmin was thankful that Jihoon didn’t push it any further.

By the sixth attempt, Seokmin is ready to give up. This goddamn key change really will be the death of him. He’s getting frustrated at himself now, and his confidence is dropping by the second. Should he sing this song after all? Is he going to fail and have to retake the semester again? That disgusting, gnawing feeling of never being good enough starts clawing at his throat, cutting off his ability to breathe. That thought was always at the back of his mind no matter what he did, but right now it was all he could think about. Sometimes, it consumes every inch of him, and it’s one of his biggest flaws. You’re not good enough. You’re not good enough. You will never be good enough. Fuck. He can feel his eyes burning, and a tear slides down his cheek.

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why I can’t get this right. I really am trying my best.” 

Jihoon seems to notice and stops playing. _Great_ , he thinks to himself, _You made the actual sun cry_. 

“Seokmin,” Jihoon says in the kindest voice he can muster, though it ends up sounding more like a forced customer service voice than anything. He cringes a little at that. “We all have bad days. Even professionals still make mistakes sometimes, it’s just how it goes. You’re such a great singer, don’t give up.”

“You think I’m a good singer?”

“Yes. You really are. You wouldn’t be at this university if you weren’t.”

“I guess you’re right.” He rubs his eyes red. “Thank you.”

They end up cutting practice half an hour short because Seokmin is too exhausted to continue. His head isn’t in it, and Jihoon decides it’s a good place to stop. They didn’t make as much progress as they wanted, but Seokmin promises he would work extra hard on Friday. 

“I am really sorry about today,” Seokmin says as he packs his stuff away. “I’ll work harder next time.”

“It’s fine.” Jihoon sighs and puts the music into the folder. “We’re all just tired.”

“No, really. I feel so bad. We had to stop practicing because of me. Can I make it up to you somehow? I can buy you dinner or something.”

“Sure,” He shrugs. “I don’t say no to free food.” 

“Great! Thank you.” Seokmin beams. “When do you wanna go? We could go either today or on Friday.”

“We could go right now, if you want. I’m pretty hungry.”

\------

They bicker for a bit on what restaurant they should go to. Seokmin is insistent that they save money and get ramen from a convenience store, as an attempt to save his wallet. Jihoon then pouts because he wants to go to his favorite Korean barbeque place. _But it’s expensive_ , Seokmin whined. In the end, Jihoon was victorious, using the argument that they had some of the best food he’s ever had. Seokmin wanted to argue that, but he begrudgingly gave in, because Jihoon is so damn cute, and he’s starving.

The sun is going down behind tall skyscrapers, casting a shadow over the streets. Shops and restaurants are lighting up with bright fairy lights and obnoxious green and blue neon signs. Their university is only a few minutes away from a busy street, and even if it is a Tuesday night, there are still couples and tourists wandering around. The restaurant itself is fairly small, with only about 7 tables, but the atmosphere is lively. 

They’re able to be seated right away, and they place their orders. Seokmin orders pork for them to share and a glass of water for himself, while Jihoon orders three bowls of plain rice and a coke. 

“I think we would’ve been fine with just one bowl of rice,” He says as the waitress walks away.

“Oh, they’re all for me.”

Seokmin raises his eyebrows at that. “Will you be able to eat all of that?”

“Yeah. I love rice.” 

When the food comes, Seokmin takes the tongs and places the meat onto the grill, letting it simmer before cutting it into small slices and turning it over so they cook evenly. 

“You know, I am considered a sexy meat griller by all of my friends.” 

Jihoon snickers. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because I know how to cut and grill it so well. That’s such a sexy trait.”

“Is it now?” He says in a sarcastic tone.

Seokmin feigns being hurt and puts a hand over his chest. “You’re saying I’m not sexy?”

“Nope. You’re more.. What's the term? Obnoxiously adorable.”

“So you think I’m adorable?”

“You heard nothing.”

“Too late, I will hold you to that forever.”

Jihoon sighs. “I take that back, you’re just plain out obnoxious.” Seokmin just laughs.

A nice silence falls upon them, the atmosphere becoming a little lighter after they joke around. Seokmin finishes grilling the meat and puts it on both of their plates. A few minutes pass as they quietly enjoy their meals, and Seokmin is the first to break the silence. 

“So...” Seokmin starts. “How did you get into playing the piano?” 

Jihoon swallows his food and looks up at Seokmin, wondering if he should answer the question or not. Seokmin seems to notice the slight hesitation, though, and starts to panic. 

“That’s totally okay if you don’t want to answer! I don’t mean to pry.” He waves the tongs frantically.

“It’s okay, I’ll answer. I’ve been playing since I was a little kid. Maybe 5 or 6. My parents used to play professionally and compete in competitions, so they always had a piano sitting around the house. They never forced competition life onto me, which was the best thing they could’ve done for me. Truthfully, I think I would’ve ended up despising music if they had forced me. Anyway. Sometimes my mom would play for me when I was upset, and it always instantly cheered me up. My life was filled with so much music that I guess my love for the piano grew naturally.”

“Aw,” Seokmin coos. “That’s such a sweet story.”

“What about you?” He says through a mouthful. “When did you know you wanted to sing?”

“Hmm.” Seokmin starts as he messes with the straw in his drink. “My story is nothing special. I’ve always loved singing. I used to sing in my church choir, and in school talent shows, and I got so much praise every time I sang. Eventually, my family and friends convinced me that I should go to school for it, and here I am.” 

“I think it’s nice, not everyone needs a huge origin story, you know?” This causes Seokmin to laugh loudly, gaining the attention of nearby tables.

“You can stop laughing, it really wasn’t that funny,” Jihoon says as he hides his face in his hands.

“But it was!”

They make small talk as they finish their meals. The tables around them are starting to clear out, turning the once lively atmosphere into something calmer, more peaceful. The lamp above their table lights up Jihoon’s face, basking him in a soft, orange glow. He has one hand resting on his face, and the other is scrolling lazily through his phone. Seokmin briefly looks outside, gazing at the city lights and the occasional passerby. It’s like the world has slowed down, and it’s just him and Jihoon at the moment. Seokmin wants to ingrain this memory into his mind, soaking up every little detail he can. 

They say their goodbyes, and go their separate ways until Friday. Seokmin walks back to his apartment with a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest.

\----------

Friday's practice goes pretty smoothly – there are surprisingly no distractions on Seokmin’s end. They’re able to get through the whole song with only minor mistakes, which is a huge relief to Seokmin, who doesn’t want a repeat of Tuesday. Since the end of the song is the most difficult to sing, consisting of high notes and vocal riffs, Seokmin wants to spend the most time practicing that section. It’s difficult, sure, but the payoff will be worth it. 

Seokmin takes a short water break once he starts to feel the strain on his voice, being careful not to overdo it. Losing his voice due to his carelessness would be a rookie mistake, and definitely something he doesn’t need right now.

He can feel Jihoon watching him as he chugs down half the bottle. A little water gets on his chin, and he sets the bottle down, wiping his chin with his sleeve. 

“Um. Why are you staring at me?” Jihoon shies away from the question and turns his focus on the sheet music instead. 

“I wasn’t staring, I was analyzing your vocals. Which are good, by the way.”

“But I was drinking water, not singing.” Seokmin gives a playful smile. Jihoon groans in response.

They’re a lot alike, Seokmin finds out, and it shows in their teamwork. Sure, their personalities are almost completely opposite, but they both share the same love for music. They have the same ideas, visions, and whatever Seokmin lacks in, Jihoon makes up for, and vice versa. Every time Seokmin suggests an idea, Jihoon goes along with it. Expressing themselves through music comes so naturally to both of them, so that they balance each other out perfectly. 

A janitor stops by to tell them that he’s locking the doors at 6:30, which is in 15 minutes. This ends up being their most productive session yet, and Seokmin mentally pats himself on the back for doing such a good job. 

Seokmin throws the water bottles into the recycling bin while Jihoon sorts through the scattered sheet music, trying to put the pages back in order. They really should staple these together. 

They finish cleaning up and Seokmin gathers his things, slinging his bag over his shoulders. He makes his way over to the entryway before Jihoon calls out his name. 

“Yeah?” Seokmin stands in the doorway and looks back at Jihoon.

“Do you want to study after this?” Jihoon’s ears are turning red. “I need to finish up an assignment.”

Wait. Did he hear that right? Jihoon is asking him of all people to study together? Doesn’t he have other friends, better friends he could ask? 

He would love to, but he remembers something important. “What about your night class? Isn’t it Friday?”

“I already took the final for that class, so we don’t meet today.” Oh, in that case.

“Sure, I’d love to!” He beams at Jihoon.

\--------

Turns out, Jihoon lives in a small studio apartment a few blocks away from campus. It’s a bit cramped, but Seokmin supposes it would be fine for just one person. A bookshelf sits next to the bed, filled with an assortment of random albums and music lesson books. Awards and trophies are placed on top of the bookshelf in a proud display. A small keyboard and computer desk are on the opposite side of the room, leaving barely any space to walk around. The trash bin is overflowing with crumpled up papers, and the desk has sheet music scattered all over it. It looks cozy and lived in, and something about it gives him a new perspective on Jihoon. It’s nice.

“Sorry for the mess,” Jihoon mumbles as he takes off his shoes. 

“It’s fine, it’s nothing compared to my apartment. Soonyoung, my roommate, is the messiest person I know. I always have to nag him to clean up.”

“Soonyoung, as in the one that’s dating Junhui?”

“You know him?” The shock is evident in Seokmins voice.

Jihoon nods. “I used to be roommates with Minghao, and Minghao and Junhui are best friends, so I saw all three of them a lot.” 

“Small world.”

“Small world indeed.”

Jihoon clears some stuff away and makes room for Seokmin to sit at the end of the bed. They study in comfortable silence, Seokmin reviewing his notes on music theory and Jihoon typing something on his laptop. Every once in a while, Jihoon will start humming a melody that sounds familiar. It’s the same melancholic tune he heard when he first met Jihoon. The same tune that was so hauntingly beautiful, the same tune that broke his heart when he listened to it. 

“Is that from the song you wrote?”

“Huh?” Jihoon stops typing and looks at Seokmin.

“The song you were humming just now. Is that the one you wrote?”

“Oh... Yeah, it is.” 

“It’s really pretty.” But everything about you is - is what Seokmin wants to say.

“Thanks, but it’s not finished. I keep getting stuck on a certain part. Lack of inspiration, I guess.”

“I totally get that. Is it for an assignment?”

Jihoon shakes his head. “No, it’s more of an independent project I started.”

“I see. Well, I hope you find inspiration soon. I’d love to hear the finished product.” Jihoon smiles at that.

They continue working until the sun starts to set, leaving the apartment cast in shadows, their only light source being a lamp over by the computer desk. Seokmin yawns and closes his notebook. One can only take so much music theory in one night. Jihoon follows behind him, saving his work and offering to make dinner. He makes ramen, because what else would a broke college student make? Seokmin graciously accepts the food and sits on the computer chair, while Jihoon sits on the bed. 

“We should watch a movie!” Seokmin suggests.

“It’s getting a little too late to start a movie, and I might fall asleep halfway through.”

“Yeah, I don’t want you falling asleep on me. That would be kinda awkward.” 

“Exactly.”

Seokmin keeps racking his brain, thinking of something they can do. He doesn’t want the day to end quite yet, because this has probably been one of the best days he’s had in a while. Spending time with Jihoon calms him, it calms his loud thoughts and racing heart. It makes him stop worrying about everything for even just a moment. Jihoon brings peace, and he’s able to be his usual loud and outgoing self around him.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask!” Seokmin exclaims. “Could you show me a few things on the piano? I only know the basics.”

“I’m telling you right now that I’m a shit teacher.”

“You’re probably not as bad as my music history teacher was, I learned absolutely nothing from him. And don’t even get me started on my choir teacher back in high school.”

Jihoon snorts. “That bad, huh?”

“Let’s just say that I don’t even know how I ended up at this university. No thanks to her, that’s for sure. My point is, you’d be a way better teacher than any of them.”

“Bold of you to put so much confidence into me.”

The two of them end up sitting side by side, thighs touching on the small bench. There’s barely enough room for one person, let alone two, so they have to make do no matter how uncomfortable it is. Seokmin secretly likes being that close (and maybe Jihoon doesn’t mind all that much either).

Seokmin starts by showing Jihoon what he knows. He names all of the white keys, and even identifies the black keys, which are called sharps and flats. Seokmin is proud of that one.

“Okay, so you know the piano keys, and you know how to sight-read... That’s it. That’s literally all you have to do.”

“You say that like it’s easy.”

“Because it is.” Jihoon rolls his eyes. 

“Whatever you say, mister 15 years of experience.” 

He ends up getting the hang of it pretty quickly. He isn’t able to play up to tempo, but it’s a slow and steady process and a song starts playing from his fingertips. Jihoon lays his head on Seokmin’s shoulder, putting his hand over Seokmin’s and guiding his fingers to the correct key every time he gets it wrong. The touch is soft, and Seokmin gets a bit distracted by how pretty Jihoon’s hands are. Everything about Jihoon is pretty. It’s unfair, really. 

Seokmin notices that Jihoon is about to fall asleep on his shoulder, and suggests that they turn in for the night. 

“Will you be okay getting home?” Jihoon can’t even keep his eyes open but the concern in his voice makes Seokmin smile. 

“Yeah, it’s not far.”

“Okay, then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Jihoon.”

\----------------

They start texting daily about anything and everything. Sometimes they’ll complain about homework, sometimes Seokmin will talk about this awesome new drama he and Soonyoung started watching. 

Hanging out after practice becomes a new routine for them, too. Jihoon loves treating him, so they always stop by the convenience store for ramen and the occasional bottle of soju before parting ways. The soju was for one specific Friday when they didn’t have class the next day. Plus, both of them are lightweights, and they found out really quickly that both of them being drunk in public is a very bad idea. Even through their rosy-cheeked, drunken stupidity, Seokmin ingrained the night they got lost and couldn’t find their apartments into his mind. Most of the night was fuzzy when he looked back on it, but the memory that would always stay clear as day is when he carried a drunken, sleepy Jihoon on his back, listening to him mumble incoherent things as he nuzzled his neck into Seokmin’s. He likes to carve every moment he has with Jihoon into his mind, locking the memories away safely so he can always cherish them.

The song is coming along nicely as well, and it shows that their hard work is paying off. Most of the time spent in practice is just polishing up the performance; Seokmin works on making the switch from chest to head voice with more ease so the high notes will sound better. Everything is going well, and he hopes that it’ll stay like that.

\---------------

It’s a week before the recital when Seokmin notices that something is... off. Jihoon has suddenly stopped replying to his texts, only ever giving a short ‘yes’ when Seokmin asks if they still have practice. It’s really weird, because they were on great terms last time they spoke. Just the other day, Seokmin had sent him a meme, to which he replied with a laughing emoji. But now it’s... nothing. There’s silence, and all of his messages get left on read. 

He’s sure what he did, but it stings just a little. Okay, not a little, a lot. It stings a lot. He thought things were going really well between them. Maybe the late-night hangouts were just Jihoon’s way of being friendly, and Seokmin completely misunderstood it; too blinded by this ever-growing infatuation. Were they even going to talk after the recital? He kind of wants to cry.

He knocks on Soonyoung’s door and crawls into the bed with him, needing comfort that could only come from his best friend. 

“I’m not in the mood to cuddle.”

Seokmin shakes his head. “It’s Jihoon.”

“What about Jihoon? Is everything okay?” 

“No! I think he hates me!” Seokmin buries his face into the pillow, desperately trying not to cry over something so stupid. It’s stupid to him, at least. He really shouldn’t be crying over some guy he met a month ago.

“I doubt he hates you. What happened?”

“I don’t know. He just- he started ignoring me! He always leaves me on read, now.”

“Maybe he’s just busy?” Soonyoung offers. “It’s the end of the year after all.”

“Couldn’t he send a quick ‘can’t talk, I’m busy’?”

“Hmm.” Soonyoung sighs. “Why don’t you just try asking him about it tomorrow? Don’t you guys practice on Tuesday?”

“I don’t wanna,” Seokmin whines. “It’s gonna be weird.”

“Yes, but you need to address the situation because it could seriously impact your performance.”

“Oh my God, I didn't even think of that. What if we just absolutely suck and they give us bad scores?” 

“That will only happen if you don’t talk to him! You guys work so well together, it would be a shame if something like this ruined it.” Soonyoung cards his fingers through Seokmins hair. 

“Try telling him that. He’s the one ignoring me.”

“Seokmin.” Soonyoung stops to look at him. “Just communicate. That’s the key to any relationship.”

“We’re not together, though.” 

“Romantic relationships aren’t the only thing that applies to. It applies to friendships, too.”

“Fine.” Seokmin draws out. “I’ll talk to him.”

\--------------------

Walking to practice on Tuesday is nerve-wracking, to put it lightly. He tries not to let it show by putting on a bright smile for the rest of the world, but he’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, so people usually figure him out right away. 

His feet get heavier as he approaches the practice room. This is the first time he’s ever dreaded seeing Jihoon, and something about that makes his stomach churn. Jihoon is already sitting at the piano when he gets there, headphones in and mindlessly scrolling through his phone. He doesn’t notice Seokmin’s arrival. 

“Jihoon.” Seokmin tries to get his attention but he seems way too distracted, so he tries again.

“Jihoon.” Still no response. He taps his shoulder lightly, which makes Jihoon jump. He turns around and sends Seokmin a glare. 

“For fuck’s sake, don’t scare me like that.” He takes his headphones off.

“I’m sorry! Won’t happen again!” Seokmin pulls out the sheet music, using it as a reference more than anything, since he’s already memorized the lyrics. 

“Uh, I wanted to ask-” He starts. 

“Let’s keep practice short today. I have other things I need to do.” Jihoon cuts him off before he can finish his sentence. 

“Right... Okay.” 

They run through the song once, and Jihoon compliments him, but it doesn’t sound genuine this time. It sounds forced, like he’s physically pained at complimenting Seokmin. Another stab to Seokmin’s heart. There won’t be much left of it by the time the actual recital happens. Even when Jihoon snaps at him, though, even when he’s flat out ignoring him, Seokmin finds him to be incredibly beautiful. Jihoon is talking about something, but he isn’t paying attention. It’s difficult to pay attention at all anymore. Seokmin’s eyes move to Jihoon’s lips as he’s talking. They’re slightly chapped, and a pretty shade of pink, and Seokmin wonders what they would feel like on his. This is bad. He’s so whipped, it’s painful.

Jihoon seems to notice that Seokmin is spacing out, because his passive expression turns into something more full of anger. 

“Are you fucking serious, Seokmin? Do you ever pay attention? I am sick and tired of you spacing out during practice. I’m trying to help you and all you do is blow it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up failing.” Jihoon is breathing heavily. Seokmin had fucked up big time. 

He tries so hard to keep his composure, at least until Jihoon is gone. “This is my recital, you know? You’re supposed to be my accompanist, not my instructor. So I don’t know why you’re being so fucking mean to me.” His voice cracks at the end. God, he’s such a mess. All he wanted to do was practice for his recital and get his degree. He never expected to end up falling for his accompanist. 

“How am I being mean? I’m just telling the truth!” 

“You’ve been ignoring me all week, and now you’re yelling at me,” Seokmin speaks in a quiet voice. He’s never been an angry person, he could never raise his voice at anyone no matter how hard he might try. At times like this, that’s more of a curse. 

Jihoon calms down a little bit after hearing Seokmin’s soft voice. “I’ve been busy.”

“The recital is in three days and all of a sudden my accompanist ghosts me? You think that feels good?” He’s not even trying to hold back his tears anymore. Some drops are getting on the music.

“I told you I would still show up to practice, stop making a big deal out of it.”

“It’s not just that! I thought we were friends, Jihoon. But I guess I was reading too much into it. Strictly professional, right?”

“Is that all you think of me as?” Jihoon gets up from the bench.

“Think of you as what?” 

“Your friend. You really don’t see me as anything more?”

Seokmin runs his hands through his hair. He’s exhausted. “I don’t know, because right now you’re not even acting like a friend.”

“I know,” Jihoon says timidly. 

“Then why are you acting like this?”

“I don’t know, okay? Get off my back.”

“You don’t know?” Seokmin asks exasperatedly. “I don’t know why I’m doing this with you. It’s so obvious you just don’t care.”

“I do care. A lot.”

“Then can we sort this out? Please?” He wipes his tears away and meets Jihoon’s eyes with pleading ones.

“I just don’t know what you want me to say.” Jihoon turns away. “I don’t have any good excuse for ignoring you.” 

“All I want to know is why. What did I do?”

Jihoon takes Seokmin’s hand in his. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“Then why?” Jihoon lets out a shaky breath at the question. He isn’t ready to admit his feelings just yet.

“It’s because I’m stupid and bad at handling things.”

Seokmin lets go of his hand. “What does that even mean?”

“I needed some time to clear my head. There’s been a lot of shit to think about lately.” 

“Couldn’t you have told me at least? A simple ‘hey, i'm busy’ text is easy. I would’ve understood.”

“I know. I know.” Jihoon puts his head down as if he’s being scolded. “I told you, I don’t have a good excuse.”

Seokmin sits on the bench, gesturing for Jihoon to sit next to him. Jihoon sits down and they interlock their fingers together. “I can’t believe I’m saying this aloud but. I like you a lot, Jihoon, so much that it hurts. If you need space or don’t feel the same way, I’d be sad, but I would understand.” He squeezes his hand.

Jihoon groans, “You can’t just say that!”

“What?” Seokmin’s face falls. “Oh. I guess that’s wrong of me to say since we’re keeping it professional.” 

“No, no. That’s not it.” Jihoon quickly shuts him down. “Like I said, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. There have been a lot of… feelings that I don’t really know how to process.”

“What feelings?” Seokmin gives a small smile of encouragement, letting him know that it’s okay to talk about these things.

“How I feel about you.” 

“And?” Seokmin is still smiling. 

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just scared. I was scared of a lot of things. About what liking you meant. You’re also so nice to me, even when I don’t really deserve it. Even now, I yelled at you and told you that you’re gonna fail, but you're just. Calm. I don’t deserve you.” 

“I’m not going to lie, you really did hurt me a lot.” Jihoon looks pained upon hearing that. “But I could never hate you, Jihoon.”

“I’m sorry I said all of those things.”

“I’m not gonna say it’s okay, because it’s not, but I do forgive you. And you know, I’m here for you when you get scared.”

Squeezing his hand, Jihoon smiles and looks up at him. “I am still scared honestly, but I want to try. You deserve someone who’s willing to try.”

“I appreciate that a lot.” Seokmin gives Jihoon a quick kiss on the cheek, which leaves him a stuttering mess.

They finally go back to practice, since they do have a performance that’s only 3 days away. The atmosphere is a lot lighter than when they started because Seokmin is ecstatic at discovering his feelings are, in fact, returned. They practice for another half hour, even though it isn’t really needed. It’s just them being perfectionists at that point, but Seokmin is more than ready for the big day. 

Seokmin continues to stare at Jihoon like some lovesick puppy, but this time it’s warranted. However, Jihoon still doesn’t like all of the attention he’s getting.

“Stop staring at me!”

“I’m sorry! You’re just so pretty.”

“No!”

\--------

The day of the recital finally arrives. All of the stressing, long practices, and anxiety Seokmin experienced over the last month is finally going to pay off. After tonight he’ll no longer be a university student, and that feels so surreal. 

Most of the day is pretty hectic. There’s a lot that goes into shows like this, and everyone is scrambling to make sure it’s perfect. There are constant mic checks, lighting checks, and rehearsals. The concert hall where the show is being held is filled with nervous seniors doing last-minute practicing. In a strange way, this is his favorite part of the whole thing. He loves seeing everyone so dedicated to their practice, he loves knowing that he isn’t the only one with pre-show jitters. He loves showing his appreciation for the staff by helping them move a piano, or helping to organize time slots when it’s a few hours before his slot. 

He looks through the crowd of people to see his and Jihoon’s friends approaching him. 

“You made it!” He goes to greet Soonyoung with a hug. 

“Of course I did! I would never miss my best friend's senior recital.” Soonyoung turns around to introduce the others. “So, you already know Junhui.”

“I do, Soonyoung never shuts up about you.”

Soonyoung grabs Seokmin’s arm and steers him away from Junhui, walking over to the rest. 

“Okay! That’s enough from you! This is Minghao, Wonwoo, Jeonghan, and Mingyu.” Soonyoung points out everyone individually. “They’re all Jihoon’s friends.” 

“Thanks for coming out and supporting us.” Seokmin smiles warmly at them. 

They all greeted Seokmin in return, telling him that it’s nice to finally meet Jihoon’s friend.

“Speaking of,” The guy, Jeonghan, looks around. “Where’s Jihoon?”

“Oh, he’s not here yet. He’ll be here in, like, 15 minutes.” 

“Ah, okay.” Jeonghan nods. 

Soonyoung turns back to Seokmin. “We’re all planning on going out after this, you in?”

“Yeah. Is Jihoon coming?”

“Obviously.” Soonyoung scoffs as if it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. 

Seokmin pouts. “No need to be mean.”

“Don’t worry,” Junhui adds. “Loverboy is coming with us.”

“Stop!” Seokmin is completely red by now, and Jihoon’s friends start teasing him.

“Alright, let’s stop harassing Seokmin and find our seats.” Soonyoung leads the group to the auditorium and waves goodbye. Seokmin mouths a ‘thank you’ as they’re walking away. 

They seem nice, even if all they did was tease him. 

\-----------

Their slot ends up being one of the last, which does nothing to ease Seokmin’s nerves. Everyone is so good, and he starts doubting himself - he doesn’t think he’s nearly as talented as anyone else. Seungkwan has the first performance of the night, and that sets the tone for the whole show. Love Poem is such a beautiful song, and he portrays the emotions so well; you can feel the heart and soul in his voice, and he leaves the whole audience speechless. Some are even crying. His accompanist does an amazing job as well. He’s definitely Seokmin’s biggest competition, and that performance is difficult to top. 

Singer after singer, Seokmin becomes quite panicked. What if he messes up and fails, or what if everyone laughs at him? What if he’s not as good as he thinks he is? This is his final grade. The one that determines whether he graduates or not. The pressure is getting to him. He’s feeling panicky and shaky by the time Jihoon arrives. 

He meets up with Jihoon in the practice room. He’s wearing a suit that Seokmin would normally appreciate if it wasn’t for the fact he was about to have a breakdown, it’s grey and hugs Jihoon’s body in all the right ways. 

“Are you ready?” Jihoon asks.

“Uh- to be honest, no I am not.” Seokmin is shaking. He’s so nervous. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jihoon says softly, grabbing his hands and giving him gentle encouragement. “You’ve been preparing for this for weeks, we’ve been preparing for weeks. You have this song perfected. You’ll do so good. I believe in you.” 

Seokmin takes a deep breath, taking in his words. “I know, it’s just. It’s the senior recital. The most important performance I’ve done so far.”

“You’re the best singer I know. Nobody can do high notes like you can. If you get nervous, just look at me. I’ll be by your side the whole time, okay?” 

“Okay.” Seokmin feels a little better. It’s nice to have reassurance, especially since his anxious thoughts never seem to stop. Being with Jihoon always makes him feel a little calmer. 

A man with a clipboard and headphones walks in the room, which causes Jihoon to drop his hands. “You’re on in 10.” 

“Thanks.” They both reply. Luckily, he seems to be too busy to notice anything. 

“Ready?” Jihoon asks as the man leaves the room, smiling at Seokmin. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” 

Jihoon looks around and makes sure nobody is nearby before he stands on his toes and cups Seokmin’s face, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before parting. “We got this.” 

Seokmin is left speechless at first, registering what happened, before turning red. That was their first kiss, and he desperately wants to go in for more, but they have a show to do. They can save that for later. 

“We got this.” He repeats.

\-----------

They walk onto the stage and take their positions. Seokmin casts a little glance at Jihoon, letting him know he’s ready to start. The piece goes very smoothly. It’s a sad song, but Seokmin makes it his own; a love song with so many complex emotions spilled into it, one that has the audience's undivided attention. Sometimes, he gets nervous and casts a glance over at Jihoon, who’s scrunching up his nose as he plays, and he regains his confidence. He nails the high notes, and even that stupid key change when it comes up. This has to be the best performance of his life so far, and he owes his success to Jihoon. I did nothing, the success is all yours. Jihoon says when Seokmin brings it up a bit later. 

Their friends come to see them after the show is over, and all of them are full of praise. They all gather around the scoreboard, which boasts a 98/100 score for Seokmin, and hug the duo. 

“You guys did so well!” 

“I didn’t know you were such a good singer!”

“You deserved a 1000.” 

Seokmin isn’t sure what to do with all of this attention. 

“Thank you, I was really nervous at first. But Jihoon helped me a lot.”

“I knew he could do it. I’ve had confidence in him since day 1,” Jihoon adds. Seokmin is overwhelmed with all of the love he’s receiving. 

“Now, let’s go celebrate!”

\------------

They go to a Mexican restaurant on the ‘all you can eat tacos and tequila’ night, making sure to celebrate the successful performance and the fact that they’re done with university. They finally made it. The atmosphere is delightful. All of them are tipsy and red, laughing at anything even if it isn’t funny. They share stories about the professors that they hated, and the stupidest things they did throughout the years - maybe something that shouldn’t be discussed in public, but they can’t care less. Even Jihoon participates in the celebrations by having a margarita, and is now clinging onto Seokmin. 

“And to the new couple!” Soonyoung raises a glass as a toast once he notices them getting cozy with each other. “Jihoon and Seokmin are perfect for each other.” 

Everyone raises their glasses in cheers and drinks until they’re empty. Times like this, when Seokmin is surrounded by the people he loves and when he’s tipsy and his thoughts are loose, make him feel like things are finally okay. He wants to ingrain this moment into his mind too, so he can always cherish it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! I wanted to try a different style of writing so I hope it worked out well. 
> 
> Thank you to the mods of Endawn for hosting this fest and letting us appreciate Seokmin.
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos!


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